Terry's Take

Sorry Robby, I just not buying it. Call me cynical, but I’ve been down the road too many times with too many players.

They always are sorry. They always say it was a mistake. They always say they didn’t know they were doing anything wrong.

If it’s true, Robinson Cano is either incredibly naïve, incredibly careless or incredibly stupid. I don’t think he’s any of those things.

The Mariners second baseman, a man who was headed to the Hall of Fame, will be suspended 80 games for violating the MLB’s joint drug prevention program. Cano was taking a diuretic called Furosemide, a banned substance.

Cano says it was a mistake, a prescription he was given by his doctor in the Dominican Republic for a medical condition. He says he didn’t realize it was a banned substance.

Really? Cano is in the fifth year of a 10-year contract that pays him $240 million. Yet you were willing to haphazardly take a drug you’ve never taken before without the slightest consideration of whether it was allowed under MLB rules?

How could it possibly be worth the enormous risk?

“For more than 15 years, playing professional baseball has been the greatest honor of my life,’’ Cano said in a written statement. “I would never do anything to cheat the game I love. I’ve never tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug because I’ve never taken one.

“Today, I’ve decided to accept MLB’s suspension. This is the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life, but ultimately, the right decision given that I do not dispute I was given the substance. I apologize to my family, friends, fans, teammates and the Mariners organization.”

This type of statement is so common in these situations it’s almost laughable. Could he be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Sure, it’s possible. It seems incomprehensible from a common-sense perspective, but it’s not impossible.

And there's this little tidbit for T.J. Quinn of ESPN. The MLB drug policy says MLB has to prove intent to mask, which they apparently did with the diuretic.

Whether you believe his explanation or not, it’s a big blow to the Mariners. The one bit of good news (oddly enough) is Cano has a broken finger and was going to miss games anyway. Those games will count against the 80-game suspension.

However, he won’t be on the field if the Mariners make the playoffs, something that looked like a realistic possibility for a 23-17 team. Continuing to play at that level for 80 games without your No. 3 hitter is quite a task.

And what about the damage to Cano’s reputation? While this isn’t a steroid suspension, officially, Hall of Fame voters tend to shy away from players who have a drug suspension on their record.